Forever
by The-Shepherd's-Daughter
Summary: It was then, in that moment of idyllic stillness, that a stiff gust of air grazed his face with a harshness that caused him to wince, and the sunset's rays momentarily quailed at the darkness that swiftly passed across his closed eyes. Before him lay a dark blur which plunged ahead to dive beneath the dusk-tinged clouds at their feet as swiftly as it had appeared. A ficlet.


**A/N: **Just an impromptu drabble thanks to the HTTYD2 soundtrack (it's amazing!). Enjoy!

* * *

The evening was cool, a delicate mist laced throughout the air as evidence of a summer's rain. Beneath the belly of the creature he sat upon, the cloud cover reflected the soft pinkish haze of the approaching sunset. A tremor of contentment ran through the marrow of the rider's bones, and he took the gifted moment with gratitude, allowing the storm-scented air to fill his lungs as he inhaled its fragrance. For a moment, the clouds drifted apart to reveal the sea below, blue-green depths mirroring the shadow which the dragon cast on its surface, and it was then that his stomach dropped gently as the creature deeply pulled at the air beneath his wings, rising higher still. Running a hand across the indigo scales of the beast's neck, the rider murmured a calming word, encouraging the animal to level out atop the wind's current. Stretching his wings, the light of dusk filtering through the skin, the dragon let the current carry the two beings along its unhindered path, free and without limitation. It was then that he leaned backward, resting his back against the rippling muscles of the dragons back, muted by the leather of the saddle on which he lay. His eyes closed, letting the serenity of the moment fill his heart with a euphoria that threatened to burst its walls; a healing balm for his battered and weary soul. A warble rumbled from within the creature that carried him, and he smiled behind watered eyes, letting his arm drop to place a reassuring hand on the warmth emanating from the dragon's scales. From behind closed eyelids, he felt the remaining rays of the sun warm his face as it began its daily descent into the sea below them; an enduring promise to return again on the morning tide, and the hope of another day.

It was then, in that moment of idyllic stillness, where the world had seemed to halt its working for him alone, that a stiff gust of air grazed his face with a harshness that caused him to wince, and the sunset's rays momentarily quailed at the darkness that swiftly passed across his closed eyes. He felt his stomach drop once more, this time without delight, as the creature on which he rested swooped down to narrowly avoid the shadowed and mysterious harbinger. The rider sat up instantly, eyes open, pupils adjusting to the change of light. Before him lay a dark blur which plunged ahead to dive beneath the dusk-tinged cloud cover at their feet as swiftly as it had appeared. He leaned forward, urging his dragon into pursuit, a strange and foreign curiosity settling deep within his gut. It was as they passed through the rosy mist of the clouds, condensation clinging coolly to his face and hair, that emerald eyes beheld the sight that had disrupted the tranquil setting in which he had found himself. The creature, whose indigo form became a soaring figment on the horizon, wings digging deeply into the air as it desired speed, caused his heart to pound, leaving his mouth dry and palms damp. It could not be, after all those years of searching, after all the failed attempts and broken aspirations, that he finally beheld what he had sworn on his very life to find. His dragon warbled again, turning a questioning emerald eye to his rider who had become like a stone figure upon his back. The rider laughed quietly to himself through the mist that had begun to cloud his eyes, leaning down to stroke the rounded face of the creature, encouraging him to follow the new dragon ahead. Perhaps, after all, this was not the end of something he held so very dear.

They continued to glide after the cobalt figure, watching as the creature floated along the open airspace, free spirit controlling the desires of its wings. Diving below towards the water's surface, it would allow the ocean's spray to coat its scales, head shaking in pleasure before opening its wings to push upwards toward the fading clouds above. As the darkness of twilight began to envelope the horizon, the dragon began to frolic more and more freely on the cooling currents of air that rushed across the unmarred landscape, twisting and winding its body through atmosphere surrounding it, a childlike delight evident in its movements. From a distance, the dragon rider watched, enraptured by the mirage on the horizon, in awe of the creature he had prayed so long to behold with his own eyes. He dared not make a sound, any noise or movement that would distract the creature from its play, or punctuate the moment in anything other than reverent stillness. He wished with every fiber of his being that he could reach out and touch the dragon on the horizon, to feel its breath against the flat of his hand, to feel the electricity when their eyes meet for the first time, as theirs had many years ago. Yet as much as he desired it within the very bones of his being, he could not, as if an omnipotent hand held him in place, allowing him only the privilege of observation. Oddly enough, his dragon continued onward, oblivious in every wingbeat to the indigo figure ahead, who mirrored himself in every way. This did not bother the rider as it would have in other times, his mind solely focused on reverential heedfulness. They had grown closer in distance, he suddenly recognized, and the rider leaned forward to get a more detailed look at the creature ahead. This was the moment he had waited for, beginning many years in the past. He had almost lost hope, lost the encouragement the concept of others like his own companion brought him. Now, it could pass behind them to become a distant and hurtful memory with the setting of the sun.

Piercing, like a dagger through the heart, he felt his ears spit with the deafening sound of a startled cry in the silence, like the sound of a crystal being shattered on the ground. His heartbeat ground painfully to a standstill, as his eyes trained to where the dark figure had floated above the setting sun. It was no longer in its previous place, instead plummeting heavily to earth with a likeness to a black bolt of lightning. The strangled yell that tore from his lungs as he lunged forward in the saddle, in a futile attempt to halt the dragon's decent into the open arms of the sea, burned as if they were aflame. Tears sprung unhindered from his eyes as he saw, with gut-wrenching clarity, the deep crimson spray that sprung from the entrance point of the arrow shaft into the creature's heart. The hollow howl that resounded through the air chilled the marrow of his bones, and he again cried out in desperation, praying, sobbing that it would not be so; that it could not be the end. Suddenly, he heard the sound; the sound of all his hopes, his dreams of the future, heaving its final breath as the body of the mysterious night fury broke the ocean's surface.

* * *

Hiccup awoke with a start, wrenching upwards in his bed so quickly that the posts creaked in warning. His chest heaved as though he climbed a mountainside; his entire being covered in a damp, chilled sweat. With a quailed whimper, he wiped the tears from his face, trying in vain to regain his composure; yet, it seemed as though it had fled him altogether. Running a hand through his bedraggled hair, momentarily pausing to finger the two braids at the back of his head, his breath caught as vivid images replayed once again. It had seemed so real, so very tangible that he had dared to believe it was true. How foolish of him… Deep within him, in the very depths of his gut, he knew they were gone, lost in the winds of time and the finality of the sword. The offspring of lightning and death itself were no more.

Suddenly, a pair of gold-green eyes popped into view from the floor below, accompanied by a concerned, warbling night fury. Seeing his companion, his kindred spirit, the young chief threw his arms around the neck of the best, sobbing into the indigo-scaled ear.

"I promise I will never let anything happen to you. I'll always be here- _Forever._"


End file.
